1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated currency processing and, more specifically, to the automated imaging, through use of magnetoresistive detectors, of bank notes undergoing high-speed processing.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In an effort to combat the counterfeiting of bank notes and other machine-processable security documents, substrate manufactures continue to develop and incorporate new security features into their product. These security features include the utilization of embedded magnetic strips as well as magnetic inks with which to print the currency on the substrate.
Current bank note processing machines feature numerous detectors and sensors to determine various attributes of a bank note being processed. Such machines often incorporate a magnetoresistive detector that detects the embedded magnetic strip and/or magnetic ink on the face of the bill. However, current magnetoresistive detectors only detect the absence or presence of such features which yields only limited information. What is needed is a magnetoresistive detector that is capable of imaging the entire note such that the note's image may be retained as a record or may be further examined by use of specialized imaging algorithms.